Family theatre review, by Islington mum Eliza Flynn
“Ok Caspian, what was your verdict of Persephone?” I asked after we’d eventually left the buggy parking area and wrestled the multitude of watering cans from his podgy hands.
I wasn’t really expecting much – after all, he’s not quite two years and has only just learnt how to string two words together.
He frowned, then, “Hedge.”
I waited…
“Hog.”
He grinned. He then went on to list out a variety of things he’d seen, which after some deciphering turned out to be ‘butterfly’, ‘rabbit’, ‘bubbles’ and ‘bird’.
We’d just been to see the toddler version of Persephone – A Tale of the Seasons, a play about nature’s transformation, and Persephone’s desire to collect fragments of each season.
The audience sits on the floor around the edge, although there was some hesitation before even entering the room as Caspian found going into the darkened room quite ‘scary’. Curiosity won eventually and we took our seat; me on a small cushion on the floor and Caspian in my lap.
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From the start, we were both transfixed; me by the way the set was laid out, and the clever use of what appeared to be washing lines across the stage, Caspian from the magical effects and surprise of snow, the joy of bubbles, and the extremely cute animal puppets. My favourite was the rabbit. His was the hedgehog.
Throughout the performance, Persephone adds in “did you knows”. I now know what a group of butterflies are, do you? It was a nice touch to add in elements for the grown-ups; I have found plays for children quite trite before, but this made it interesting.
After the show has ended, the fun continued and the stage became the scene for playing and exploring different baskets of sensory objects which I thought was a nice touch.
If you’re looking for a first theatre experience for your little one, this was ideal. We both thoroughly enjoyed it.
Insider tips:
Location: There’s two locations for the Little Angel Theatre. This is at Sebbon Street which is set a few streets behind Upper Street. I’d advise an extra 5 minutes for finding the place – it seems to blend in well with the street it’s on.
What to wear: Shoes aren’t allowed in the theatre space so wear things which are easy to get on and off. If you want to get properly involved, wear comfortable clothes so you move and sit freely on the floor. If the floor isn’t your first choice of seating, there are seats around part of the edge which you’re welcome to sit on.
Buggy access: There’s no buggy access in the theatre so if you come with a younger baby, sling them if the performance time falls over a nap.
Stage intruders: For safety reasons, they can’t have toddlers in the stage area during the performance so little ones need to stay by the edge. I’m not sure what can be done to persuade them to stay put, but some parents brought toys to keep them from wandering too much. The staff are all very friendly and understanding when this happens and are happy to gently coax children back to their seats, but some parents were constantly retrieving wandering offspring.
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Eliza Flynn is a mum of three small and feral boys, and a pre and postnatal fitness specialist. She’s based in Islington and helps women build the strength they need for everyday parenting and beyond, with the time they have.
As well as weekly group classes, she also offers at-home personal training, and her goal is to make fitness more accessible. She has recently set up an online membership called Mumentum to help busy mums build a small but consistent fitness habit, spurred on by a friendly ‘village’ community.
You can follow her on Instagram @thewarriormethod for accessible workouts and fitness tips.
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Persephone – a Tale of the Seasons
Little Angel Theatre
Sebbon Street Community Centre
Sebbon Street
N1 2EH
There are performances for babies and for toddlers – check schedule for age guidance.
On until 20 April 2024
PR Tickets – we were invited to this show, with no obligation to write about it.
Photos by Ellie Kurttz for Little Angel Theatre
